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Feb 8th, 2008 at 02:09:16 - Metal Gear Solid (PS) |
GAMEPLAY:
Another thing worth mentioning about the gameplay is the creative radar system. The game requires players to proceed with extreme caution. In the upper corner of the screen there is a radar that alerts players to the location of enemies. Each enemy has a cone shaped line if sight. The player must try to avoid entering this cone in order to avoid detection. If the player is spotted, the enemy will sound the alarm and the radar will be jammed until the alarm timer reaches zero.
As the payers progress through the game they encounter some of the most imaginative and memorable boss characters in gaming history. They each have an incredibly deep and rich background story that make the players sympathize with them and their cause. Also, the way some of the boss encounters are carried out is pure genius. As an example one of the many bosses in the game is a powerful psychic named Psycho Mantis. He has the ability to read people’s minds and can anticipate the player’s every move. There is only one way to beat him: plug the PlayStation controller into the second controller slot so that he can’t read your mind. If that’s not creative then I don’t know what is.
DESIGN:
What starts out as a simple covert mission to disarm the terrorists, slowly turn into one of the most complex and well written plots in any videogame. If I wanted to explain the storyline then I would have to dedicate a whole paper to it. Let’s just say it involves themes that range from cloning and genetic research to government conspiracies, betrayal, love, and the dangers of nuclear weapons.
The graphics are obviously outdated by today’s standards but back in 1998, Metal Gear Solid had the most incredible graphics seen in any videogame. Not only did the game look amazing but the attention to detail was simply amazing. The audio was (and still is) among the best in videogame history. From the orchestral music to the top-notch voice work, this game set the benchmark for what videogame audio should be.
I think it’s more appropriate to call Metal Gear Solid an interactive movie rather than a game. Saying that there are a lot of cut-scenes in this game is an understatement. I’m not exaggerating when I say that 40% of the game is cut-scenes. The story is such an essential part of the game that at times it feels as if the players are “playing” a movie. Some criticized the game for its short length and long cut-scenes but for those who enjoy a good storyline, this is a must-buy. 10 years after its release, Metal Gear Solid is still one of the best videogames I’ve played
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 02:07:56 - Metal Gear Solid (PS) |
SUMMARY:
Metal Gear Solid is a tactical stealth game that was released on the original PlayStation way back in 1998. Unlike most games of its time, the game put emphasis on stealth rather than all-out action and gunplay. It was also the first game to give players a true cinematic experience with its then unheard of level of storytelling and voice acting. The game puts players in the shoes of Solid Snake, a former member of a special forces unit who is brought out of retirement in order to deal with a rouge group of terrorists who have captured a nuclear weapons disposal facility in Alaska. As Solid Snake, players must penetrate the enemy base, rescue the hostages, and eliminate the terrorist threat.
GAMEPLAY:
As mentioned before, Metal Gear Solid is a stealth game at its core. The player must navigate through the game without being detected by the enemy and there are many ways to achieve this. Crawling under objects, using boxes as cover, hiding behind walls, distracting enemies by making noises are just some of the ways that players can avoid detection. If detected, a timed alarm is set off which draws the enemies to Snakes location. During the alert phase players must hide and remain undetected until the alarm timer reaches zero. The game itself is controlled from an elevated third-person perspective. While the camera isn’t controllable by the player, the game moves the camera around every now and then to allow for a cinematic view of the action.
The game starts out with Snake infiltrating the enemy base alone and unarmed. The only options are to remain hidden or to take down the guards with your bare hands. Of course as players progress through the game, they will find plenty of weapons, rations (which restore snake’s health), gadgets (such as thermal and night vision goggles), and other handy items that are all essential to snake’s success. Players can also remain in contact with snake’s support crew using a tiny earpiece called a Codec. Basically each contact has a set frequency that players can dial in order to gather hints and tips on how to play the game or what to do when they are lost. Once the players get the basics down, the story starts kicking in and that’s when the game really picks up (more on the story later).
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Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:34:34 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
GAMEPLAY:
As I said before the game’s story starts out a bit slow but it really starts to pick up once all the playable characters join the party. Sure the character development isn’t as fleshed out as some of the other Final Fantasy games (such as FFVIII) but at least the plot is much more believable and is somewhat relevant to real world issues. Gone are the clichés of the past titles (rescue the princess, save the world, etc.) and instead players are treated to the most mature storyline out of any FF game.
The gameworld is huge and it may take hours to get from one side of the map to another (that is until players gain access to the airship). The huge gameworld does however bring about some new problems that didn’t plague past FF titles. Exploration can become a bit tedious (especially in later parts of the game). There is also a lot of backtracking involved which makes traveling a hassle at times. It would have been nice to have faster forms of transportation a bit earlier in the game. To be fair though, there are some satisfying rewards for traveling the world. Also each city is incredibly detailed and is filled with many NPCs (non-playable characters) that really bring the world of Ivalice to life. another thing worth noting is the difficulty level. This game is definitely on the harder side of the spectrum. In fact some of the optional boss battles are nearly impoosible to beat. But I suppose that only helps make the game more rewarding.
DESIGN:
FFXII is probably the most ambitious FF to date. Technically it does things that were thought impossible on the PS2. The graphics are impressive to say the least. In fact FFXII is one of the best looking (if not the best looking) PS2 game on the market. The voice acting is superb and the script is very professionally written. Thank God there are no more awkward conversations like in FFX. If there is anything worth complaining about in FFXII’s audio department, it’s the music. While there is nothing bad to be said about the soundtrack, it simply isn’t as memorable as past FF games.
In any case the FFXII world is very expansive and it took me well over 80 hours to finish the game (including all the side-quests). As I said before FFXII is a different beast from the rest of the FF games but I for one am not complaining. The changes made to this game are definitely refreshing considering the fact that many RPGs in today’s market play exactly the same with maybe a few minor changes. Overall I was very impressed by this game. It may not have the same impact that FFVII did back on the original PlayStation but Final Fantasy XII is still one of the best PS2 games to date and is definitely a worthy entry in the Final Fantasy series.
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Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:22:10 - Final Fantasy XII (PS2) |
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:34:48.
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altfire has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 10 days |
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